Bastholm, 42, will exit Ogilvy next month. The WPP Group agency credited him with attracting new digital talent, but some questioned his abilities as a manager. Before Ogilvy, Bastholm was co-chief creative officer at AKQA, working on brands such as Coca-Cola, Smirnoff, and Motorola. Earlier in his career, he worked at Framfab in Denmark.

At Ogilvy, Bastholm was among a cluster of creative leaders in New York that also includes Worldwide CD Tham Khai Meng and Steve Simpson, chief creative officer for North America. Simpson will oversee the New York creative department until a new CCO is found.